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Expectations for MIDN

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References

Regulations for Officer Development (ROD)
Midshipmen Handbook 2025-2026 Edition

NROTCUVTINST 5000.1Q

https://liberalarts.vt.edu/rotc/navy/forms.html

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Overview

Selection for Scholarship
Degree Completion Plan
NROTC Academic Requirements

Calculus
Physics

Aptitude Requirements
Physical Fitness Requirements
Waivers and Requests

BLUF: You must understand the terms of participating NROTC.

Misunderstanding and noncompliance results in loss of benefits.

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Overview

Selection for Scholarship
Degree Completion Plan
NROTC Academic Requirements

Calculus
Physics

Aptitude Requirements
Physical Fitness Requirements
Waivers and Requests

So get out your notepad/pen and take notes.

Save your questions until the end.

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Scholarships

If you received a 4-Year National or 2/3-Year Sideload scholarship, the following things were considered:

Degree selection (especially Tier)
Previous collegiate/AP credit
Stated academic aptitude
Stated propensity to serve our nation

You were selected above other qualified candidates
Naval ROTC scholarships are amongst most lucrative

Range from $81,000 to $221,000 value @ VT

Agreement to graduate/serve

Changes to the plan do not mean the government pays more

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Degree Completion Plan (DCP)

1533/117 (10-23)
Review/update each semester

Signed by university Advisor
Discuss with NROTC advisor

Changes approved by

University advisor
NROTC advisor

Shall provide NROTC current DCP

Many classes only offered in specific semester

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Degree Completion Plan (cont.)

MINIMUM: 12 credit hours

(16 including Naval Science & PT)
16-19+ credit hours normal
Many majors avg 18-19/semester

Graduate expeditiously

Most students = 4 years
Some can complete early (AP, etc)
Extended entitlements

Contractual graduation date

Failures/withdraws/change major result in need for more time

You do this at your own expense!

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Academic Requirements

Academic Expectations

>2.5 GPA (every semester / cumulative)
No Failures or Withdrawals

Permission from PNS via advisor BEFORE withdrawing

Enrolling in 16-19+ credit hours

Calculus* (MATH 1025/1026 or 1225/1226)

Must complete both before end of Sophomore year
In-person (not virtual) at Virginia Tech

Physics* (PHYS 2305/2306 and lab)

Must complete bother before end of Junior year
In-person (not virtual) at Virginia Tech

* Navy Option only

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ROD states: Students who have taken calculus or calculus-based physics for college credit prior to entering the NROTC Program, which their college has validated, must complete one additional three semester-hour (or equivalent) college course in each of those areas to satisfy this requirement, unless these courses were taken at an NROTC affiliated school. This course shall be the second (or higher) in the sequence.

ROD requires that NROTC-specified courses, such as calculus and physics courses, are taken and completed at the host university at which the student is enrolled. (An exception may be made, in rare instances, in that a MIDN may be authorized to take an approved calculus and/or physics course at another NROTC host institution or cross-town school during the summer at the student’s expense.)

The PNS shall place students not completing this requirement, or failing to schedule these courses to ensure compliance, on academic Leave of Absence (LOA), at the first indication the student will not meet the requirements, pending completion of the requirements. In certain instances, NSTC may grant a time-of-completion waiver.

However, local policy at NROTCU VPI is that AP/transfer credits will not be accepted to meet this requirement, and these required CALC/PHYS class must be retaken here on campus. This is to ensure a solid foundation of Calc and Phys to ensure future success in subsequent math and science requirements, enable higher GPA as to not jeopardize scholarships, and prevent unnecessary expulsion/disenrollment from the ROTC program.

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Academic Requirements (cont.)

English (ENGL 1105/1106, COMM 1015/1016) (6 hrs)
American History / National Security Policy (3 hrs)
World Cultures / Regional Studies* (3 hrs)
Naval Science

Naval Fitness (all semesters)

MN 1004	Introduction to Naval Science	3	Freshman Fall
MN 2104	Seapower and Maritime Affairs	3	Freshman Spring
MN 4005	Leadership and Management	3	Sophomore Fall
MN 3005	Navigation	3	Sophomore Spring
MN 1104	Naval Ships System I: Engineering*	3	Junior Fall (Navy Option)
MN 2004	Naval Ships Systems II: Weapons*	3	Junior Spring (Navy Option)
MN 3006	Naval Operations and Seamanship*	3	Senior Fall (Navy Option)
MN 3204	Evolution of Warfare**	3	Junior or Senior Fall (Marine Option)
MN 4204	Maneuver Warfare**	3	Junior or Senior Fall (Marine Option)
MN 4006	Leadership and Ethics	3	Spring Semester prior to Graduation

* Navy Option only

** Marine Option only

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Calculus* (1025/1026 or 1225/1226)

Navy-option scholarship students will take MATH every semester until NROTC Calculus requirement complete

Regardless of AP/Transfer credit will (re)start with 1025 or 1225

Unless Pre-Calc / Calc-prep is required first (MATH 1014 or 1214)
Stronger foundation and/or GPA boost for those with prior credit

Approved courses

Expected to complete at VT (must be taken at NROTC unit schools)

In-classroom / not virtual (VT summer Calc classes are virtual)
Time of completion

Complete by end of second year (Spring semester)

Leave of Absence (LOA) if requirement will not be met on time

* Navy Option only

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Physics* (2305/2306)

Starting Sophomore year, must enroll in Physics each term if not complete with NROTC requirement
Must take PHYS 2305/2306 at Virginia Tech

Force-Add if MATH 1225/1226 not taken

AP/Transfer credit no longer counts at NROTCU VPI

(unless, for current students, Physics 2306 already complete)

Approved courses

Calculus-based Physics
Expected to complete at VT (Must be taken at NROTC unit schools)

In-classroom / not virtual
Time of completion

Complete by end of third year of Naval Science (Spring semester)

LOA if requirement will not be met on time

* Navy Option only

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Aptitude

Academic expectations

Rigorous pursuit of degree/commission

Class attendance
Professional Laboratory (ProLab)
Study tours

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Study Tours / Tutoring

Not punishment
Mandatory for:

Enrolled in Calculus or Physics (2hrs/class/week)

Requirement waived

Demonstrated lack of successful study skill

As assigned by Academic Warning/Probation/LOA

Allowable options

University tutoring programs
Student Success Center
NST Hours

Documentation required (legible, signed by proctor)

Office hours with Professors / TAs
NROTC Department Advisors

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Study Tours / Tutoring (cont)

Documentation required

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Physical Readiness

Passing NSI or Inventory Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA)/Physical Fitness Test (PFT) required to activate scholarship

Must pass Body Composition Assessment (BCA)
≥ Good-Low (in all areas) (Navy) / 200 (Marine) minimum

Navy Option

Must pass Fall/Spring Official PRTs
≥ Good-Low (in all areas) considered passing

Marine Option

Must pass Fall/Spring Official PFTs
Must pass Fall CFT
≥ 235 considered passing* & req’d for Raiders

Good-Low/235 is minimum for summer cruise

* ROD says 4-yr scholarship Freshmen ≥200

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Appendix B

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Absences

Classroom attendance required

Includes NROTC, university classes, ProLab, PT

Authorized absence

NAVPERS 1336/3 Special Request Chit
University course instructor approval documented prior to Dept Advisor
1 week prior
Unforeseeable circumstance

Unexcused absences (UA)

Starting holiday early not valid reason
VTCC Leave Chit / AA Card does not replace any above requirement

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Requests

Request to drop course
Force-add request
Request to change academic major
Request for Summer/Winter school benefits
Excused absence from MN 1014 (Naval Fitness)
Special Request chit NAVPERS 1336/3
Change of Option (Blue-to-Green, etc)
Elective Surgery (Corneal Refractive Surgery, etc)
Elect to receive Room & Board vice tuition/fees

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Waiver Requests

Credit hour waiver (applicable to some Sr/5^th Years)
ProLab waiver request
Seek waiver before registration window closes

Do not assume waiver will be approved
Have a backup plan

Templates for all these Requests and Waiver Requests are on the VT NROTC Website

These are “Requests”

And we reserve the right to say “No”

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PROLAB Waiver Request

PROLAB attendance can be waived for a single semester in unique circumstances
Class scheduling conflict during the entire Tuesday 1530-1645 timeslot

Course required for your major
Cannot be taken another semester (sequencing)
Cannot be substituted for another course
Does not apply to any elective (free elective, major elective, program elective, technical elective, etc.)

Waiver request must demonstrate all of the above

Provide checksheet/program requirements w/ request

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Major Change Request

Potential impacts to scholarship
Tier 1 / Tier 2 / Tier 3

Changes within Tier or selecting more technical Tier
Tier 1 to Tier 2 approved by CO
Tier 3 requests require NSTC approval (semi-annual board meets in Winter and Summer)

For changes between Tier 1 and Tier 2

Form from website
DCP (current DCP and proposed new DCP)
Transcript

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Tier 1 academic majors are the core technical engineering majors - include Aerospace (Aeronautical or Astronautical) Engineering; Chemical Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Naval Architecture & Marine/Naval Engineering; Nuclear Engineering; Ocean Engineering; Systems Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Engineering Physics, and Materials Engineering

Tier 2 majors are the softer engineering - include Agricultural Engineering; Civil Engineering; Construction Engineering; Industrial Engineering; Mining & Mineral Engineering; Hard sciences and maths - Astrophysics; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Chemistry; Mathematics; Oceanography; Pharmacology & Toxicology; Physics; Physiology; and Statistics; and the Computer Sciences - Computer Programming; Computer Science; Computer / Digital Forensics, Cybersecurity, Information Security, Network Operations, Software/Information Systems

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NSTC Tier 3 Change Selection Boards

Academic Tier change from either Tier 1 or 2 to Tier 3 requires NSTC N9 and CNSTC approval

Each class shall have specific percentage of Navy Option scholarship MIDN in Tier 1 or 2

Sophomore 3/C: 80%
Junior 2/C: 75%
Senior 1/C: 70%.

Tier change request quotas depend current %
Board could recommend a Tier change or no Tier change based upon this policy

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Change of Option

Navy Option to Marine Option (Blue-to-Green)

MCRC will review applications for Navy to Marine Corps Change of Option scholarships during Fall/Spring sideload boards

Marine Option to Navy Option (Green-to-Blue)

NSTC will review applications for Marine Option to Navy Change of Option scholarships during summer sideload board

Multistep process and highly dependent on quotas at the time
Official Mail Messages (OMMs) will have specific application details

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https://liberalarts.vt.edu/rotc/navy.html

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Time Management and Priorities

Training wheels are off

You own your schedule and free time
2-3 hrs per credit hour per week for coursework

VTCC versus NROTC (and academics)

You are close to realizing what is potentially a life-long dream
Corps activities may seem important, but Navy is paying your scholarship
GPA is heavily weighted when determining service selection ranking

Time Management is a requirement, not option

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Motherhood

Provide Admin personnel prompt responses

As if emails from them were tasking from XO
Your scholarship benefits are usually the topic
Short-staffed in the largest NROTC unit

The right answer is pay attention

To this brief
To your Instructors/Advisors/staff
It’s not to have mom and dad call us to ask why they are having to pay out-of-pocket for fees that were incurred because of poor performance or delinquency

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Questions?

Read the MIDN HANDBOOK. Reference the VT NROTC website.

If still confused, ask your MIDN Chain of Command.

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